This invention relates to an apparatus for drying webs and more particularly to a new and improved means for drying textile webs.
Web as used throughout the specification and claims is intended to include artificial as well as synthetic materials. Artificial materials includes all types of sheet materials such as textile fabric, paper, films formed from regenerated cellulose whereas synthetic materials includes all types of synthesized materials.
In the processing of web materials such as textiles, cloth, and the like it is accepted practice for commercial operations to dry such webs by passing it around a series of drums or cylinders that are internally heated. Such drums are arranged in overlapping relationships so that the film or web comes in contact with one side of a major portion of the heated cylinder and then passes to a second drum or cylinder. The cylinders are all rotated at the same peripheral speed. In addition to heating the drums, air may be blown past the drums to facilitate the drying of the web material. A sufficient number of cylinders are used in the drying of the web to achieve a proper drying.
The present invention contemplates a more effecient means for drying the cloth by reducing the amount of energy necessary to dry the moving web, which can result in reducing the number of drying cylinders and the cost of manufacturing cloth. A further benefit of this invention is that the heat or drying energy is used for the purpose of drying the web and not for dissipation in the adjacent environment. With the use of a rubber insulating cap of one-half inch thickness on a single cylinder, a savings of 8,556 BTU/hr. is achieved. Operating at a steam pressure of 76 PSIG, approximately 9.56 pounds of steam per hour were saved per cylinder. The total savings is considerable taking into account the number of cylinders used in drying the textile web. In addition, there is a greater degree of freedom from pollution.